Jesus could have conducted His ministry alone. He did not need anyone to help Him accomplish His rescue mission. Even still, He invited 12 men to come alongside Him, learn from Him, and help make Him known to everyone around them. These men were not the men who anyone would have expected a Jewish rabbi like Jesus to choose to follow Him. Even though these men were unexpected pics for Jesus’ disciples, they gave up everything in order to follow Him.
Matthew 4 records Jesus calling the first disciples. In this chapter, He saw two brothers, Peter and Andrew. They were fishermen. It is important to know that no self-respecting rabbi would choose fishermen to be his disciples. Even still, when Jesus saw these men, He said, "Come follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!" (verse 19). Jesus called these men to follow Him, and "they left their nets at once and followed Him" (verse 20). Next, Jesus saw another set of brothers, also fishermen, named James and John, and "He called them to come, too" (verse 21). Like Peter and Andrew, these men also "immediately followed Him, leaving their nets behind" (verse 22). These are just a few of the unconventional people Jesus called to be His followers.
When I think about the calling of these 4 men, their response stands out. They left immediately. They did not have to think about whether they would follow Him or not. They did not have to go home and get any affairs in order. They even left their nets behind. They left everything behind to follow Jesus.
Jesus' call to follow Him does, indeed, require sacrifice. It requires that we let go of our own selfish desires and comforts in order to live for Him and what truly matters in eternity. Although following Him is costly, the reward is far greater than anything we will give up on this earth in order to follow Him.
Following Jesus required sacrifice for His disciples. Still, today, it requires sacrifice. Is there something that God has prompted you to leave behind in your pursuit of following Him? It's time today to let go of that thing. Remember, the cost of following Him pales in comparison to the reward of a lifetime of loving and following Him.
12 When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he left Judea and returned to Galilee. 13 He went first to Nazareth, then left there and moved to Capernaum, beside the Sea of Galilee, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. 14 This fulfilled what God said through the prophet Isaiah:
15 “In the land of Zebulun and of Naphtali,
beside the sea, beyond the Jordan River,
in Galilee where so many Gentiles live,
16 the people who sat in darkness
have seen a great light.
And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow,
a light has shined.”
17 From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.”
18 One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew—throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. 19 Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” 20 And they left their nets at once and followed him.
21 A little farther up the shore he saw two other brothers, James and John, sitting in a boat with their father, Zebedee, repairing their nets. And he called them to come, too. 22 They immediately followed him, leaving the boat and their father behind.
Crowds Follow Jesus
23 Jesus traveled throughout the region of Galilee, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. 24 News about him spread as far as Syria, and people soon began bringing to him all who were sick. And whatever their sickness or disease, or if they were demon possessed or epileptic or paralyzed—he healed them all. 25 Large crowds followed him wherever he went—people from Galilee, the Ten Towns, Jerusalem, from all over Judea, and from east of the Jordan River.
